Yadkin tax rate to remain unchanged

Yadkin County Clerk to the Board Tanya Gentry is recognized for achieving a certified county clerk designation.

The tax rate for Yadkin County property owners is expected to remain the same, at .66 cents per $100 valuation according to the proposed 2021/22 fiscal year budget presented to the county board by Manager Lisa Hughes on Monday evening. Hughes gave a detailed presentation on the budget which does include some minor changes to fire tax rates in Boonville, East Bend and West Yadkin.

If the budget is approved, Boonville’s fire tax rate would go from .073 to .075; East Bend’s fire tax rate would change from .0725 to .073; and West Yadkin’s from .08 to .075.

The proposed budget includes funding for two new night shift deputies with the Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office, one deputy fire marshal position, one code enforcement officer (building inspector and one new human services technician.

The full budget can be viewed online or in the clerk to the board’s office at the Yadkin County Human Services building. A public hearing regarding the budget proposal is scheduled for June 10 at 7 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Chambers of the Human Services Building.

Hughes also made a proposal to the board on Monday to increase the pay grade for new and current county employees.

Hughes said the county’s pay scale had not been changed since 2013 and she was recommended a five percent increase for new positions and a two and half percent increase for current employees, with a one and half percent performance based increase possible in January. Hughes said the change would make the county more competitive and in line with other county pay scales. Chairman Kevin Austin requested that the change be implemented as possible. The board approved the change to be effective immediately for new positions, there are currently 24 open positions in the county, and that the increase for current employees go into effect for the next pay period.

Tanya Gentry, clerk to the Yadkin County Board, was recognized on Monday for receiving her North Carolina Certified County Clerk designation. Board members had high praise for Gentry who has worked for the county since 2011.

Steven Ratcliff with the county’s GIS department presented and update on Yadkin/Davie County border line project which has been ongoing for at least two years. The project has entailed determining the official GIS border lines between the two counties. The board approved the final resolution following a discussion of how property deeds should be updated to reflect the correct county for properties that were formerly Davie County and now considered part of Yadkin. Austin noted that he did not think that residents should have to pay the fees to file updated deed documentation. The matter is expected to be discussed again at a future meeting with the county agreeing to pay fees associated with deed filing.

The county offices will be closed on May 31 in observance of Memorial Day. A Memorial Day ceremony is planned for 11 a.m. a the Yadkin County Park, behind the YMCA in Yadkinville. The board has a scheduled meeting with the Yadkin County Board of Education at 6 p.m. on June 1 at the Agriculture and Education Building.

Kitsey Burns Harrison may be reached at 336-258-4035 or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @news_shewrote.